


The Stray Cat Strut

by almostblue (fictionalaspect)



Category: B.A.P, K-pop, Secret (Band)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Angst and Humor, Caretaking, Catboys & Catgirls, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Outer Space, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Sappy as hell, Sexual Slavery, Smuggling, Vaguely legal professions, sex slaves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 02:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2252547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalaspect/pseuds/almostblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a stray-born Felani, Jung Daehyun is used to having it rough. As far as he's concerned, eking out a vaguely-legal living in Chithel by pick-pocketing people and working at Himchan's bar is the best he's going to get. Everything changes, however, when he meets a runaway Felani ex-slave named Youngjae, and his entire life gets turned upside down. (Space AU! Aliens! Catboys! ALL THE CATBOYS)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Stray Cat Strut

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bictory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bictory/gifts).



> Written for Round 3 of [thebrowniebunch](http://thebrowniebunch.livejournal.com/) ♥
> 
> Much thanks also to my quick and _always_ amazing beta anoneknewmoose ♥ ♥ ♥

The time between first and second sunset is always the slowest. 

Daehyun wipes a rag across the bar, rubbing idly at a more resistant smear. Mid-set is the only time he's allowed behind the bar anyway; he's a 'walking disaster', as Himchan oh-so-gently reminds him every time he manages to knock into someone. Daehyun's fine during the slower times, and he doesn't mind working the mid-set shift, when most races are asleep. It's during the busy, crowded times that he's liable to bang into someone and cost the bar a fortune in drinks, tabs, and broken glassware.

It's a 37-hour day on Chithel, otherwise known as both a scrap of rock in the middle of nowhere and the place that Jung Daehyun currently calls home. He'll move on eventually; he always does. But for now, he's stuck wiping a dirty rag against the permawood bar while the cantina's few patrons nod into their drinks. 

He hears Junhong's footsteps behind him a full thirty seconds before he feels the yank on his tail, but he pretends to be surprised anyway. He doesn't think Junhong has quite managed to grasp the subtleties of working the kitchen at a bar staffed mostly by Felani. 

"Brat," Daehyun says, flicking one ear lazily at him without turning around. Junhong sets a tray of fresh glasses down on the bar, still hissing from the desanitizer.  
"Takes one to know one," he says, grinning and twisting out of the way as Daehyun turns and goes for his stomach. Junhong is abnormally tall, even for a human, and that means there's plenty of real estate for Daehyun to poke and prod and tickle when necessary. 

"You," Daehyun says, laughing as Junhong dives out of the way only to be caught out by Daehyun's tail wrapping around his ankle, "are a terror, and you know it. I don't know why we even let a teenager work these shifts. Shouldn't you be in school or something?" 

Junhong laughs, snickering as Daehyun manages a solid pinch to his right side and then lets him go. "School," Junhong says dismissively, waving a hand like such things are beneath him. He leans all six-feet-plus of himself against the bar, towering over Deahyun. "Who needs school on a shitty asteroid like this one? What am I going to do, _learn_ my way off this rock? I'd rather be here." 

Daehyun shrugs. There's a part of him that feels like he should argue, but he knows it would ring hollow. It's not like Daehyun has had--well, any formal schooling, really. He knows how to read, and how to count, and how to survive a fight and how to pickpocket tourists and how to steal food when no one is looking. He may not be able to name all the moons of Alpha Centauri, but he's gotten by okay so far. 

"You never know," Daehyun says, instead of talking about his past. Junhong is already a terror; he doesn't need any more bad ideas. "You could apply to the academy. Learn to be a pilot."

"Yeah, and fly cargo ships in a uniform the rest of my life," Junhong says. He rolls his eyes. "I'll be in the back if you need me. I'm calling my mid-shift break." 

"Kay," Daehyun says. He waits until Junhong's almost out of reach, and then smacks his ass with the tip of his tail. Junhong yelps, pushing his way through the swinging door to avoid any more attempts, and Daehyun can't help the smile that breaks out on his face. Junhong is almost as much fun to annoy as Himchan. 

He leans up against the bar and watches the vid-screens for a while. There's a game of soccer on, and while he neither knows nor cares who is playing, it still makes him ache to run around outside like he used to as a kid. 

He gives up when the team in orange starts losing badly, and starts stacking the clean cups under the bar and refilling the sanitizer tray with dirty ones. He's almost finished when he hears the quiet purr from the darkest side of the bar. 

"Another?" He calls out, over his shoulder. 

"Please," the guy says. Daehyun nods, pulling out a glass--carefully--and mixing another whiskey and syrup. He pops a few assorted berries onto a toothpick, drops it in the bottom, and then adds a dash of lime before carrying it over to the Felani seated at the end of the bar. 

"Ahh-ah!" Daehyun says, holding the cocktail just out of reach. The Felani's ear twitches in annoyance. He's been coming in all week, keeping mostly to himself, showing up when the bar is empty and ordering cheap meal replacements and cocktails that haven't been popular out here for years.

Naturally, Daehyun has taken to extracting information about him by withholding his purchases until he answers Daehyun's questions. 

"Isn't this against the law or something?" he says, his eyes narrowing. 

"Ain't no law out here, kid." The Felani can't be much older than him--if that--but Daehyun suspects that this guy hasn't been out in this quadrant for very long. "The law is whatever I say it is, unless you've got a hell of a lot more credits or a bigger gun. Spill." 

"Fine." The guy picks at his cuticles. His claws are sheathed, but his hands are still dirty. "What is it this time? My homeworld? My sexual preferences? My mother's birth clan?"

"I was going to ask you your name," Daehyun says, laughing. He wiggles the cocktail just out of reach. "But I'd be happy to listen to all of those answers as well." 

"I'd need to be a hell of a lot drunker," the guy mutters. He sighs, rolling his eyes at Daehyun before holding his hand out. "It's...Youngjae." 

"Probably an alias, but i'll take it." Daehyun pushes the drink carefully across the bar. "You've earned yourself one whiskey fizz. They don't drink these much out here, you know." 

"Mmm?"

"Cuts on the side of your ears aren't too common either." Daehyun watches as Youngjae's eyes widen, his ears flattening against his head and his mouth drawing back in a snarl before he seems to remember that he's all alone, in a bar on an unfamiliar world. 

"What, you think I'm gonna rat you out?" Daehyun shakes his head, flicking the tip of his tail against Youngjae's hand. The dark brown fur contrasts nicely with Youngjae's pale skin, which is possibly another reason Daehyun has taken such an interest in their mysterious stranger. They get mysterious strangers all the time, but most of them aren't Felani with pretty striped markings and skin the color of Chithel's three moons. "Come on. There are worse things. I don't think anyone else will even notice."

"Anyone besides you and the tall one with the dyed fur?" Youngjae says. As of right now, he can still pass for a normal Felani, but Daehyun suspects that as soon as those cuts heal and scar, the former ownership piercings will be painfully obvious. Only pet Felani have their ears pierced with two rings on each side, even if some freeborns choose to get to a piercing here and there as a sign of their independence. And there's really only one reason to own a pet Felani. 

"Himchan," Daehyun supplies helpfully, instead of wincing like he wants to. Right now he's feeling very, very grateful that he was born an alleycat, with no traits that any rich owner could possibly want.

"Yeah. Him." 

"Himchan would never rat you out." Daehyun reaches underneath the bar and fumbles around for something to clean. This is probably the most he's gotten out of Youngjae in a week, and he wants this conversation to keep going as long as possible. His fingers close around a pile of silverware. Good enough. "Didn't you notice?"

Youngjae purses his lips, sucking the lower one into his mouth. His face is dirty, but Daehyun can tell that underneath the shapeless clothing and the careful disguise he's well-built and handsome. "Notice what?"

"His own scars," Daehyun says nonchalantly. They've both lowered their voices, and Daehyun decides to take a chance, switching into Felaniarian. Pets who were raised away from their families don't always speak it, but he's found over the years that most cats can at least carry a conversation. "His didn't come out as cleanly as yours did. That's the reason he dyes his fur--otherwise it's obvious when you really look at him. Not that the patrols come through here more than once a year, but there's no reason to give the Core a reason to look twice at your papers. Especially when you look like he does." 

Youngjae follows Daehyun's words without so much as batting an ear. A family, then. He must have been raised in a family of pets. "He has papers?" Youngjae says carefully, raising his drink and taking a long sip. 

"He owns this bar, doesn't he?"

"I thought the Hlakian did."

"Guk?" Daehyun shakes his head. "Nah. He and Himchan have..." he waves a hand around lazily, dropping another fork into the pile of "clean" ones. They're all clean, but Youngjae doesn't need to know that. "A thing. You know how it goes. It's a thing." 

"And he doesn't care that Himchan was..." Youngjae looks cautiously interested.

"He's not that kind of person," Daehyun says. "You should talk to him sometime. You ever met a Hlakian? They're interesting, that's for sure."

"No," Youngjae says, visibly closing up once more. "That's fine. I shouldn't even be--I should probably just go." 

"No, hey--" Daehyun reaches out, letting his fingers rest lightly on Youngjae's wrist. "I told you. You're safe. I mean, yeah, you could go to any of the other hundred bars in this dump. But wouldn't you rather be here?"

Youngjae drains his glass, setting it down with a soft thump. "Nowhere is safe," he says softly.

"Nah, that's where you're wrong." Daehyun twitches his ears forward, trying not to smile and failing. "I'm Daehyun, and safe happens to be my middle name." 

\--

"Safe happens to be my middle name," Himchan drawls, tossing back a shot and then setting the glass down on the bar. He gives Daehyun a disbelieving look. His fur is dyed purple this week, and Daehyun still isn't quite used to it. "You seriously fucking said that. You _seriously_ tried to use that as a pick up line." 

"It was worth a shot," Daehyun grumbles, sipping his own glass of moonshine. 

"I walk into my bar to find you practically playing tailsy with some dirty kid from--"

"Hey," Daehyun frowns. "His name is Youngjae. And he's not dirty." 

"Youngjae, then. I walk into my bar to see you practically playing tailsy with Youngjae, and yes, Daehyun, he is actually dirty, in the sense that he could use a bath." Himchan shakes his head. "When are you going to stop picking up strays?"

"When are you?" Daehyun challenges, giving the kitchen a very obvious look. 

"Junhong doesn't count," Himchan says firmly, pouring himself another. All of his movements are fluid and languid--yet another mark of his purebred, former-pet status. "I was drunk and he was persuasive. Also, he had my wallet." 

"And yet you gave him a _job_. Instead of just knocking him out."

"Hey, he did a good job lifting it," Himchan says, starting to laugh. "I'm not sure I could have done better. Talent like that should never go to waste, Daehyunnie." 

"You and Guk are so weird," Daehyun mutters. 

"You say that like it's not the reason you have a job." 

"Hey." Daehyun points an unsteady finger at Himchan. It's possible that he and Junhong have been sitting in the back playing drinking games since second sunset, while they shoved meals into the reconstituter and dealt with the dirty glasses. Daehyun will admit that it's possible. In a 'Junhong is now sleeping peacefully on the sacks of rice in the back storeroom' sort of way. "I got this job fair and square. I didn't steal your wallet or anything." 

"You tried to steal my _boyfriend_."

"It's not my fault I'm charming." Daehyun shrugs. "I may not have your looks, but at least I can talk. How was I supposed to know he was all...committed to you and stuff?" 

"I can't believe the nerve you had in trying to compete with me," Himchan says, shaking his head. "And that Guk decided you were useful, instead of just decking you."

"Guk is a pussycat," Daehyun says, taking another long slug. "He's all hiss and no bite. He would never have hit me." 

"You're the pussy cat, pussycat." Himchan catches him off guard with a stroke of his tail along the small of Daehyun's back, and Daehyun chokes on his next sip. Himchan laughs and throws his second shot back, winking as he does it. "Gotcha." 

"Hyunggggg..."

"Don't hyung me, kitten." Himchan ruffles his hair affectionately, even as Daehyun tries to duck out of the way. "You owe him one. Don't you forget that if the time ever comes." 

Daehyun looks down at the bottom of his glass, and thinks about how few people in the universe can say that, and really have it be true. "I will," he says, suddenly sincere, even if his sincerity is interrupted by a hiccup at the end. 

"I know," Himchan says, licking his lips as he downs his final post-closing shot. He doesn't look at Daehyun, but there's a small smile hovering around the corner of his mouth. "Now. What do we have for leftovers around here, anyway?"

\--

Daehyun stumbles home that night thinking about nothing in particular, winding his way through corridors and alleyways mostly on muscle memory alone. He's not working for the next two solar cycles, so it doesn't matter if he's drunk as hell and pleasantly full on Himchan's handouts. He'll need to drop in at the bar tomorrow to pick up his weekly pay--he's not quite dumb enough to head home sloshed with 100,000 won in his pockets--but other than that, he's a free man. 

The door to his apartment opens gently for him as soon as Daehyun passes the retina scan for his corridor. Jonguppie must be back from work, then. 

"Hey," Daehyun slurs, grinning widely as he tumbles into the doorway of his tiny apartment. "Uppie! You're home!" 

"I didn't even need to use my qi, you know," Jongup says, smiling as he watches Daehyun try to navigate the difficulties of removing his shoes while completely hammered. On the stove, something is simmering. It smells delicious. Daehyun's shoes are stupid and there is no reason they should still be on his feet when Jongup is home and cooking and Daehyun is drunk and hungry again. "I could smell you as soon as you walked into our section."

"Oh, shut up." 

"How's Himchan and Guk?"

"Usual," Daehyun says, shrugging. "No different than always. Himchan says hello and told me to--"

Jongup starts laughing even before Daehyun can get the words out. "I get the picture," Jongup says wryly, turning back to the stove. "Tell him I said thanks, but no thanks. Again." 

"It's no fun having an Aurian as a roommate. You ruin all my punchlines." Daehyun finally manages to tug one of his shoes off, stretching out his left foot and sighing with pleasure. 

"Yeah, but I open the door for you when you're drunk." 

"I guess." Daehyun looks at his other shoe forlornly, and then just decides to lie down on the floor. The floor is nice. It's soft and it's comfortable and it doesn't move like the rest of the room. "And you can feed me down here, can't you?"

"No," Jongup says solemnly. "The only thing immune to my Aurian powers is curry. You're just shit out of luck tonight." 

"I'm going to throw my shoe at you." 

"No you aren't." Daehyun feels his shoelaces being untied, and he sighs in relief. Jonguppie is the best. "Now get up, I'm not levitating a bowl of curry over there so I can spoon-feed your drunk ass."

"Everyone's a critic," Daehyun mumbles, heaving himself off the floor and into a chair for his second meal of the evening. 

\--

Daehyun wakes up the next morning with his face snuggled into one of Jongup's dirty sweatshirts, and his phone ringing incessantly somewhere near his ear.

"Wha," Daehyun mumbles, feeling around on the couch for the small slip of plastic that he usually keeps tucked inside the phone-pocket in his shirt. It must have fallen out in the night, and he finds it in between two couch cushions. "What," he grumbles, slapping the DNA-activator-side down against his chest to answer the call. He has no idea where his shirt is, or why he isn't wearing it. "Jesus, what?"

Himchan's face appears in front of him, and he quirks an eyebrow at Daehyun's state of undress. "Rough night, kitten?"

"Shut up," Daehyun says, waving a hand and trying to burrow back into Jongup's sweatshirt at the same time. He needs another sweatshirt for his feet and his legs. His tail is cold, and even curling it underneath himself isn't doing much to warm it up. "Go away. I don't work for you until Chyris sets again. I'm a free Felani."

"You're hungover as hell, that's what you are." 

"So?" Daehyun's stomach rumbles. God, he's starving. Stupid Himchan waking him up and making him think about his bodily needs and shit. Daehyun had been quite happy drifting in a hazy dream about Youngjae and his pretty skin and maybe a nice hotel pod up in the Towers somewhere. They'd be able to see both of Chithel's suns and all three moons, and then when they wanted to they could just dim the windows, and...

"Daehyun!"

"Hmgph!" Daehyun startles awake again. "Ugh, why are you still here? What do you want?"

"I need you to come down to the bar," Himchan says, and it's only then that Daehyun recognizes the way Himchan is holding his shoulders, tight and tense. His fur is practically standing up on end, even if Himchan is talented enough to keep his ears and his tail in line. "We have a little problem, and I think you're the one who can fix it." 

"Problem?" Daehyun groans. "If it's about the sanitizer, the floor mats, or Junhong still being drunk, it's not my fault." 

"It's about Youngjae." 

"What?" Daehyun sits up. The room tilts and shifts, and he has to slap a hand against his phone to keep it against his skin and not break the call. "Youngjae? Is he okay? What's wrong with him?"

"Just get dressed and come down here," Himchan says, shaking his head. "Guk says he'll give you something from his stash to clear your head. I...well. I think you're going to need it."

\--

"I'm here!" Daehyun says, busting through the doors of the cantina, even though it's far too early for them to be open and there's no one in the bar to hear him, anyway. He dashes through the alcoves and booths until he reaches the main bar, and behind that, the rest of the building. Once he reaches the kitchen he hears faint voices coming from upstairs, so he bypasses the rest of the back rooms and heads straight for the tiny stairwell that leads to Himchan and Guk's apartments above the cantina.

"Hey," Daehyun says, practically falling through the door. His balance still isn't the best, and his stomach is growling something fierce, but none of that is important right now. "Hey, I'm here, what's--"

"Drink this," Yongguk says, turning from the kitchen counter and handing Daehyun a small glass of something fizzy and iridescent. Daehyun gulps it down without question, even when it makes everything spin for a second and then calls up memories of his mother, god, his mom, he hasn't seen her since he was seven and she always had the softest ears, and she used to hold him by the hand, and--

"Okay, okay, come back, hey, Daehyun, come back to me," Yongguk says. His voice breaks through the memories that threaten to overwhelm Daehyun, and then all of a sudden he's standing in their kitchen again, a lump in his throat and his mind clear. Yongguk looks regretful. His hand is warm and comforting on Daehyun's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. That one is for calming down violent criminals--it's a little intense. It just works the fastest, and I think your friend Youngjae needs you to be clear-headed right now." 

Daehyun swallows against the lump in his throat. He is not going to cry. Jesus, what a morning. He is not going to cry in front of Yongguk, even though he's sure many men and women far more hardened than he is have done it before. "That's how you do it, huh? That's how you get to them?"

"No, not all the time." Yongguk's smile is sadder than normal. Daehyun has never met a Hlakian who doesn't have that strange, sad smile. "Like I said, that one just packs a punch for when I really need to get through to someone." 

"I'll say." Daehyun shakes his head, uncurling his tail from where he had protectively wrapped it around himself. "What's going on? Where's Youngjae? Is he hurt?" 

Yongguk sighs. "See for yourself," he says, gesturing to the bedroom. "It's something I can't fix, that's for sure." 

The bedroom door is closed, so Daehyun opens it carefully, not wanting to make too much noise. Himchan is sitting by the bed, dipping a piece of cloth in what looks like liquid TranQ, and wiping it gently over Youngjae's forehead as he writhes on the bed. 

"Shit," Daehyun says softly.

"Yeah," Himchan says, brushing Youngjae's hair back from his forehead. Youngjae's face is flushed and covered in sweat. His toes are curled in pain, and he's moaning softly, his hands clenched in the sheets. "You said you'd talked to him. Do you think he knew this was coming? We found him in the back alleyway this morning when Guk went to pick up the milk and the deliveries." 

"Maybe," Daehyun says, biting his lip. "He's only been coming here for a week. I don't know how long it's been since he escaped. Maybe he's never even gone into heat before. He seemed pretty...I don't know. It's like he's good enough not to get caught, but I don't think he's really a tomcat like we are." 

Himchan sighs. "I've got a supply of suppressants coming," he says. "I don't need to fill my government scripts because of Guk, so Youngjae can take mine for a while. But even with that, he's going to need some help. You know how disorienting they are."

"Yeah." Daehyun bites his lip. Part of his and Jongup's deal is that Jongup gets a break on the rent for taking care of Daehyun when his period hits and Daehyun has to spend four days in bed. Uppie's a good nurse and a good Aurian, so their deal works out well. But Daehyun can't imagine having to go through it alone. "Yeah. Okay. As soon as the suppressants come and we give him the first dose, I'll take him. Can you give me the time off of work?" 

Himchan nods, wetting the rag again and smoothing it over Youngjae's arms and hands this time. Daehyun knows that at best the TranQ is probably only slightly dulling the pain, but it's the best they can do at the moment. He's grateful to Himchan anyway.

"Thank you," he says quietly, curling up next to Youngjae on the other side of the bed. "Do you want a break? I can take over for a while." 

Himchan sighs, and then nods, rubbing his eyes. "I need a bath," he says, looking down at his arms. "And we need to call in some extra help to get your shifts covered. Jieun and Sunhwa can probably help out if I promise them extra. Do you mind staying until Hyoseong can...?"

"No," Daehyun says, reaching out for the small bowl and the TranQ rag. "No, not at all. I'll take care of him."

Himchan stands up, looking down at the bed. "I couldn't just leave him," he says softly, and Daehyun knows that Himchan is thinking about his own past, about the scars on his ear that he never talks about and the way he sometimes startles at loud noises and sudden touches. 

Daehyun looks up to meet Himchan's eyes. "Thank you," he says again, swallowing hard. He looks away as Himchan leaves the room, and then back down at Youngjae, who has rolled over and somehow curled himself around Daehyun's knee. His tail is lashing at the air, flicking back and forth like he's about to maul someone. Youngjae whimpers, pressing his face against Daehyun's pant leg.

"You're gonna be okay," Daehyun says, wiping more TranQ over Youngjae's ears and his neck and then reaching out to dampen the fur at the base of Youngjae's tail. He remembers this spot hurting like hell his first time. He has to push the covers down to do it, but he avoids any cheap glances. This isn't about him right now. "I promise, Youngjae. You're gonna be okay." 

\--

The suppressants take a good two hours to arrive, even with Himchan's connections. When they finally do, it takes all three of them to hold Youngjae down so Himchan can inject the first dose. Youngjae hisses and snarls and practically bites Yongguk in the process. Yongguk is totally unfazed, and Daehyun wonders--not for the first time--what the hell his sex life must be like. Humanoid-Felani relationships are rare, and even if Yongguk is Hlakian, he's still mostly human. Daehyun just shakes his head, and concentrates on the task at hand. He really doesn't want to think about Guk and Himchan, anyway. It's sort of like thinking about his parents fucking.

Youngjae settles after the first dose. His body suddenly relaxes as the medicine kicks in, and for the first time he stops whimpering and shaking. Daehyun heats some hot water on the stove and then brings a bowl in just to clean Youngjae off. He's covered in sweat and grime and now the sticky residue of the TranQ liquid, and Daehyun knows that's not a fun place to be. 

Youngjae wakes up as Daehyun is rubbing down his legs, a blanket tossed over Youngjae's middle for some semblance of modesty.

"Dae...hyun?" he mumbles, looking confused.

"Youngjae," Daehyun says, dropping the rag into the water and then squeezing it out. He wipes at Youngjae's face with the hot cloth. Youngjae looks confused. "Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm here. You're going to be alright. You remember who I am?"

"Mmm," Youngjae says weakly. His tail flicks gently against Daehyun's ankle. "How did I..."

"You went into heat," Daehyun says. He moves down to Youngjae's neck and chin. "And unfortunately--or maybe fortunately, I don't know--the government stuff isn't as good as that private shit you pets get. You're going to be pretty out of it for a couple of days, but the pain and the, um. The _need_ will go away." 

" 'M not a pet," Youngjae says, sighing as Daehyun moves down to his collarbones. His ears perk up in obvious enjoyment. It's really cute. Daehyun has never met anyone with ears as cute as Youngjae. They're smaller than normal, and one has more stripes than the other. His tail is handsome, too, soft and silky and just the right length. Daehyun is just a plain old brown, with oversized ears and a long, awkward tail. With the grime starting to come off and Youngjae's tail out, it's more and more obvious that Youngjae is a purebred. No wonder he'd been hiding in those baggy, dirty clothes.

"Not anymore," Daehyun agrees, wiping at Youngjae's shoulder. "Although I think we need to get someone to look at those ears of yours. I'm not so sure they're healing right."

Youngjae frowns, even through the haze of the medicine. "No doctors," he mumbles. 

"She's Felani," Daehyun assures him, continuing Youngjae's bath. In other circumstances he'd just lick Youngjae clean himself, but he doesn't really want to think about what's on Youngjae's skin--and anyway, he's pretty sure they're not close enough for reciprocal grooming just yet. "Hyoseong won't rat you out. She might even be able to stitch them up a little neater."

Youngjae frowns. "A Felani...doctor?"

"Probably the only one in this quadrant," Daehyun says, smiling. "Maybe the entire Core. Trust me. She'll be over after she finishes her shift at the shelter--Himchan's already ask her to check up on you. I think you'll like her." 

\--

Hyoseong winces in sympathy as she peels away the scab from Youngjae's left ear. Once she does, Daehyun can see that the wound itself is sore and red, oozing slightly.

"I gotta say kid, you have some balls," Hyoseong says, gently touching the area with her gloved hands and then reaching out for some disinfectant. "You didn't just rip these out, I think you might have taken a little bit of your ear with it."

"It hurt," Youngjae mumbles, still drifting in and out. "That...hurts too. That--OW!" Youngjae growls suddenly, baring his teeth, and Daehyun pushes him back with two hands on his chest. As much as this sucks, it needs to happen or Youngjae's just going to get worse.

"I know it hurts," Daehyun murmurs, now that he's effectively nose-to-nose with Youngjae. "Just hold on a little longer, okay? And don't, um. Don't bite my nose off?"

Youngjae growls, low in his throat, but his eyes flick up to Daehyun and his fangs slide back into place, tucking themselves neatly behind his teeth.

"Almost over," Hyoseong says, working quickly and neatly. "This one's almost done. Just a few more stitches, and then we'll do the right one. That one looks like it's in better shape." Her long hair is purple, and tied up behind her ears in an elaborate bun today. Daehyun doesn't know too much about Hyoseong's past. She has speckled fur, like a purebred, but her ears are pure and entirely scarless. She's also a _doctor_ , which is utterly unheard of in this quadrant. Daehyun hasn't been everywhere, but he's been a hell of a lot of places. Races that are bought and sold as slaves don't receive that kind of education, period. He's considered asking her, but he's learned long ago that sometimes it's safer not to know.

"Is there anything we'll have to do afterwards?" Daehyun says, still keeping a close hold on Youngjae in case he decides to jolt upwards again. "Like, keepin' it clean and stuff?"

"We?" Hyoseong says neutrally, tying the stitches off and snipping the ends neatly.

"I'm gonna take care of him for a few days," Daehyun says. "Just. You know. He needs some help, I'm gonna help the guy out. What, sunbae? What, don't look at me like that!"

"Mmm," Hyoseong says, the corner of her mouth quirking up. "Well, you shouldn't have to do much. The enzymes I put in there should do the trick, but it wouldn't hurt to clean them with regular disinfectant once a day. Salt water will work if you're out of that, although I think I might have some extra in my bag."

"I've got a little," Daehyun says. "We'll be okay."

"I know you will," Hyoseong says, as she moves her hands to Youngjae's jaw and starts to check Youngjae for any other wounds.

\--

"You can't just teleport him back to our place?" Daehyun frowns at Jongup, sitting at Yongguk and Himchan's kitchen table with a mug of coffee in his hands.

"No," Jongup says, yawning. Daehyun feels bad about waking him up, but this is _important_. "There's a reason I work in the shipyards, you know. Teleportation is like a Level 12 skill. I quit school way before that." He gives Daehyun a crooked smile.

Daehyun never really went to school, so he gets it. But-- "Do you have any better ideas for getting him home?"

"I can lift him," Jongup says. "Like, if we sling his arms around our necks, I can levitate him so that he's not so heavy. Dead weight made of organic matter is tough, but I can at least get him down to something manageable."

"Doesn't look like he weighs much anyway," Yongguk says, smiling sadly. "Besides, I can help. I'm coming with you."

Daehyun frowns. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I _am_ working. I can bill for this." Yongguk grins at them, a real smile, showing all of his gums. "I'm protecting a helpless citizen and two good Samaritans, who will no doubt be a target for pickpockets and thieves as they attempt to bring their friend to safety."

Daehyun grins. "That's a hell of a whitewash. Sure you can tell your bosses that with a straight face?"

"Yes," Yongguk says. "You know I can. Hlakians can only..."

"Tell the truth, I know," Daehyun says, scrubbing a hand over his face. He's heard this speech more times than he can count. Daehyun never spent much time thinking about 'the truth' of things until he met Yongguk, but he's since learned that it's a lot more complex than he thought it was. "And you're genetically compelled to report any law-breaking, but _only_ if there's no possibility of reasonable doubt."

"The devil is in the the details," Yongguk agrees calmly. "And in this situation, there is quite a lot of reasonable doubt. So. Ready for your morally upright trip home with Sergeant First Class Bang Yongguk of the Hlakian Brigade?"

\--

"You could have at least _waited_ to turn them in," Daehyun grumbles, helping Jongup carry Youngjae through the door of their tiny apartment and into the bedroom. "Now everyone's going to think we're snitches. How am I supposed to buy food and shit on the black market?"

"What was that?" Yongguk says. "I didn't quite hear you. I'm certain you didn't say that you'd be purchasing goods on the black market. That would be illegal. Certainly just as illegal as the crime we witnessed on the way here."

"It is a miracle Himchan doesn't punch you every day," Daehyun says, setting Youngjae down on Jongup's sleeping pallet with Jongup's help. He and Jongup work alternate schedules, so they usually don't see much of each other. It had seemed silly to bother with separate bedrooms, but now Daehyun feels bad. He doesn't mind losing some sleep to take care of Youngjae, but he doesn't want to inflict that on his roommate. Hyoseong had given Youngjae something for the initial pain, but she'd warned them that it would wear off in a few hours and he'd be back to the suppression sickness.

"Okay, just let me change the coverings," Daehyun says. "Yongguk, would you heat up some water for tea?" Yongguk takes the hint and leaves the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Daehyun takes out the wallet he'd stolen this morning, when he ducked out in between Hyoseong leaving and Jongup's arrival. Jongup gives him an expectant look. "Did you get a good one?"

"Now's the time to find out," Daehyun says. He picks through the contents of the wallet - DNA encoded bank card (useless), family holographs, memory sticks. He's almost ready to give up when he finds the secret pocket, and then he grins in triumph. "Aha!" Daehyun says, pulling out a wad of bills. "Knew it. He looked like the type to store cash away for an emergency." He stashes the wallet in his work uniform, to be dropped in an anonymous police box. He never takes anything more than the cash, so there's no point in keeping his trophies. Especially with Yongguk around.

"How's that tea coming?" he yells out, and the door immediately opens. Yongguk must have been waiting outside. Daehyun smiles, his earnings tucked safely in his own wallet. "Thanks, Yongguk-hyung. It's been a long day."

"It's always a long day on Chithel."

"Hah. Ha. You're a riot." Daehyun presses his security code into the side of the pallet, and then feeds a few bills in. The pallet blinks green in acceptance, and then slides into the wall.

"One time in class," Jongup says, out of nowhere. "when I was a little kid, they told me that humanoids used to clean things with _water_. Water and soap."

"Sounds like they were living the good life," Daehyun says, picking up his tea and taking a sip.

"They had so much water around they could just afford to waste it," Jongup says. He grins, sudden and bright. "Weird, huh?"

"Totally weird."

"Water rationing only started 2,000 standard years ago," Yongguk says, leaning up against Daehyun's bureau. "That's the blink of an eye for some species."

Daehyun shudders. "I don't know how you do it," he says, turning to Jongup. 

Jongup shrugs. "Hey, I'm only three hundred and eighteen. You get used to it."

"I couldn't." The average lifespan of a Felani is one to two hundred years. Daehyun thinks that's a perfectly reasonable amount of time to be alive. He can't imagine being Jongup and knowing he'll live to be a thousand.

Daehyun's pallet dings, sliding back out from the wall. His bed is freshly made with brand new sheets and blankets, materialized to his preferred specifications. The old ones have been broken down into their chemical elements, ready to be recycled for someone else's needs.

"Okay," Daehyun says. "Let's get Youngjae over here before he wakes up. He's a lot easier to move when he's all floppy like this."

"Yeah, and when I'm around to help carry him," Jongup says. "I need to head out soon. I switched shifts, but I couldn't just take the night off."

"I know," Daehyun says. He and Jongup manhandle an unresisting Youngjae into the bed, and then Daehyun turns to the rest of the room.

"Thanks," he says, suddenly feeling awkward. All of his friends have pitched in to help, and there's no one except Himchan who even knows this strange Felani. "For helping out. It means a lot."

Yongguk shrugs, setting down his empty teacup and slipping his hands into his pockets. "Highest aims for the greatest good," he says.

Jongup nods. "What he said." He breaks out into laughter when Yongguk starts snickering and tries to punch him on the arm.

"Losers." Daehyun shakes his head. "Get out of here. Go do something productive with your lives. Shoo."

"Call us if you need anything," Yongguk says, as he waits for Jongup to gather up his work things. "I'm serious. You know Channie will help."

"You've done enough," Daehyun says, half-smiling. He looks down at the sleeping Felani next to him. "I think me and Youngjae are both used to getting by on our own. We can take care of ourselves."

\--

Youngjae recognizes Dae-- _really_ recognizes him--almost 24 hours and three suppression shots later. Daehyun knows this because he's cleaning himself at the time, and he hears Youngjae's enraged yowls right before he tries to break down Daehyun's bedroom door.

"Shit," Daehyun hisses, jumping out of the washing area and throwing a towel around his waist. He stands in front of his bedroom door with his hand on the knob, waiting for the next time Youngjae tries to break it down. When he does, Daehyun just opens the door, forcing Youngjae to fall on top of Daehyun instead of ruining Daehyun's apartment.

"It's okay," Daehyun says firmly, even as Youngjae hisses at him. "It's okay. It's Daehyun. You remember me from the bar, right? The bar. I'm the bartender. This is my apartment. You got sick, and you needed some treatment. You're on day two of your heat cycle." He watches as recognition slowly dawns in Youngjae's eyes.

"Daehyun," He says, and his voice would sound almost normal, if he wasn't shivering violently. "Right. You're--you're from the cantina."

"And you collapsed and Himchan found out outside," Daehyun repeats, slowly and carefully. "And so we fixed you up a little and then brought you here. But now you're going to have to learn to deal with the suppression sickness just like the rest of us. It's the price of being a free Felani."

"Free--" Youngjae's eyes widen, his hands automatically going up to protect his ears. Daehyun smiles. "I think you should go look in the mirror," he says. "You won't have to hide in those hoods and baggy clothes much longer."

Youngjae swallows, his expression somewhere between panic and disbelief. Then he's off like a shot, running into Daehyun's bedroom. Daehyun leans back against the wall, letting out a breath and fixing his towel.

At some point he's going to have to point out to Youngjae that he's naked, but he's hoping that problem will just...resolve itself.

"Holy fuck," Youngjae meows, unable to control himself. He coughs, and then switches to Felani. He's still shivering, but he appears to have forgotten his lack of clothing. "My ears. My _ears_. You fixed them. All I can see are the stitches, there's no scars, there's--"

"Hyoseong is good at what she does," Daehyun says, smiling as he watches Youngjae stare at himself in disbelief. "Do you remember her? You were pretty out of it."

"Sort of," Youngjae says. "It's all really blurry." He pauses for a moment, one hand covering his stomach. "Blurry..."

"Oh fuck, okay, okay, the waste disposal is over there," Daehyun says hurriedly, tugging Youngjae towards it just in time for Youngjae to throw up. It's Day Two. Right. He should have remembered. It's slightly different for everyone, but for Daehyun, Day Two has always meant regaining his conscious self just in time to start shivering and throwing up. It's probably the worst day, if he's honest. On Day One he's so out of it that he never even remembers the pain afterwards, and on Day Three...well.

That's a different kind of annoyance.

Daehyun runs out to the kitchen to get some reconstituted water, and then stops in the hallway for an extra blanket. He brings both water and blanket to Youngjae, who has paused for a moment, slumped on Daehyun's bedroom floor.

"I'm naked and throwing up in your waste disposal, aren't I," he says grimly, with the air of someone who knows he will never, ever live this down.

"Eh," Daehyun says, draping the blanket over Youngjae's shoulders. Youngjae curls into it with obvious relief. "Happens to the best of us."

\--

Six hours later, Youngjae is still shivering, but he's stopped throwing up.

"This is so embarrassing," Youngjae mutters, wrapped up in Daehyun's blanket while Daehyun finds him something clean to wear. "What happened to my _clothes_?"

"They're in the reconstituter," Daehyun says. "And actually, now that I have some cash, I can run it. But you were running hot and cold before, and when I called Jongup at work he says he usually just leaves me naked until I wake up and start, you know. Throwing up."

"Jongup?"

"My roommate," Daehyun says. "He takes care of me when I go into heat. I mean, he's an Aurian, he's seen it all. It doesn't really phase him."

"Oh," Youngjae says. He pauses for a long moment. "What's an Aurian? I don't...I've never met one before."

"You'll have your chance in approximately two hours," Daehyun says, finally finding some pants and a shirt that aren't too dirty. "But...yeah. Aurians...they're humanoid--look a lot like humans, actually. Very agile. Telekenetic, sort of telepathic...it depends on how old they are. Jongup can mostly just sense images. Aurians tend to have an odd sense of humor, but they're very kind. You'll like Jongup. Everyone does."

"Okay," Youngjae says. He pulls the shirt on, and then pauses when he gets to the pants. "Oh, um. Did you have--"

"Huh?" Daehyun blinks at him.

Youngjae colors. "Never mind," he says quickly.

"No," Daehyun says, frowning. "What? Do you need socks? I think I have a few pairs around here somewhere."

"I was...um." Youngjae says. "Do you have any...underwear?"

"Oh," Daehyun says. His cheeks feel hot. He laughs, embarrassed, and rubs at the back of his neck. "I don't really...bother with that? It's just one more thing to clean..."

"Right," Youngjae says, slipping the pants on and then letting the blanket fall down. The pants are a little short, but otherwise everything fits reasonably well. "Of course. That was...silly of me to ask."

"Nah," Daehyun says, picking up the blanket and herding Youngjae into bed. He's got nutrient broth heating on the warming pad, and Youngjae needs some soon or he's going to feel even worse. "I'm just cheap, that's all. Been on my own for a while."

"Right."

"Did you...want me to get some?" Daehyun asks, suddenly remembering that Youngjae isn't just any Felani going through heat. He mentally smacks himself in the forehead. Smooth, Jung Daehyun. Smooth. "I mean...I can understand if...you'd like to be as covered as possible."

It's awkward, but Daehyun figures it's less awkward than saying _so hey I'm really sorry about that part where you used to be a sex slave and I totally get it if you want to cover up your dick, man._

Youngjae looks away. "I would appreciate that," he says, quietly but firmly. "I can pay you back."

"When Jonguppie comes back, I'll run out and get some," Daehyun assures him. "Right now, you need nutrient broth, and then we need to clean your ears and your stitches, and then you need to rest and stay warm."

"Why are you doing all of this?" Youngjae curls deeper into the blankets. "I don't get it. You don't even know me. I'm just a stray."

Daehyun pauses in the doorway. His heart is suddenly pounding in his chest, and he doesn't want to think about the real reason so he gives Youngjae the most obvious one. "Because I had to go through this on my own, the first few times," Daehyun says. "And so did Himchan. No one deserves that."

Daehyun walks into the kitchen, and pauses for a moment, just breathing as he leans up against the refrigerator. It's not like he's lying. He did have to go through this alone the first few times, before he found somewhere to belong. So did Himchan. Daehyun knows that much.

It's _a_ truth, he tells himself, as he pours the broth into a mug. It just isn't _the_ truth.

\--

Youngjae relaxes more and more as the hours drag on, finally curling up into a ball on Daehyun's bed, under the covers. Jongup's arrival had helped, just like Daehyun thought it would. Jongup's uncanny ability to calm down a room is always useful, but mostly Youngjae had just been wearily fascinated as he watched Jongup go through his usual night time routine. Daehyun used the distraction of floating laundry and cups of water and toothbrushes to shovel as much broth into Youngjae as he could manage.

Now Daehyun sighs, finally letting himself relax. Youngjae is fast asleep next to him, and he's exhausted. He thinks about Jongup doing this for him every month, and suddenly feels both guilty and grateful. It's a hell of a lot of work, even if Daehyun's heat isn't nearly as intense as Youngjae's.

Daehyun sips at the rest of the nutrient broth, now cold. It doesn't taste great but it's not awful, either, and Daehyun's learned to be thankful for what he has. It's food, and it will keep him going until morning.

He's starting to doze off, cup still in hand, when he hears an unfamiliar noise. He sets the cup down and moves to shake Youngjae's shoulder, but stops at the last minute, hand still outstretched.

Youngjae is purring.

It's soft, and quiet, but it's definitely a purr. Daehyun bites his lip, drawing his hand back and trying not to smile. He wants to scratch behind Youngjae's ears. He wants to stroke his thumb along the sensitive curve of the inner edge and do everything that makes him purr louder, but he doesn't. He's not going to risk waking Youngjae up when he's finally found some sort of momentary relief. His body needs all the rest it can get.

Instead, Daehyun just lies back on the bed, closing his eyes. Youngjae's purr is soothing, and for a moment Daehyun feels a sharp pang of regret. It's been a long time since he had someone else in this bed, and still longer since that someone was Felani. He needs to try dating again. Hell, he needs to stop working so much in the first place. He needs--

Daehyun looks over at Youngjae, swallowing hard.

He needs to go to sleep, is what he needs. Daehyun rolls away, facing the sleeping lump in Jongup's bed, and closes his eyes.

\--

"Daehyun." There's a familiar voice in his ear, and the smell of Daehyun's rehydrated shampoo. Daehyun groans, rolling away from the voice. He's nice and warm, and he doesn't want to get up just yet. He's dreaming about acres of smooth skin, of soft clean hands and then Youngjae's cute striped ears.

Actually, the voice sounds an awful lot like…

"Daehyun?"

"Ohmygod," Daehyun says, suddenly going still. Youngjae is...wrapped around him. Youngjae is very nice and warm and his skin is very smooth and he is _spooning Daehyun naked_ and Daehyun has absolutely no idea what to do.

"Hi," Youngjae says. His words slur together. "Why do you...you smell really good. Why do you smell so good?" He nuzzles his nose into the back of Daehyun's neck, breathing in deeply.

"AhahaHAHAhah because you're almost through with your heat and today is the day you get really cuddly," Daehyun says, jumping out of bed. He looks down, realizes that somehow his pants are gone, and grabs a piece of clothing from the floor to hide himself.

Youngjae stretches languidly, unconcerned about his lack of clothing. He rolls over onto his stomach, biting his lip and looking Daehyun up and down approvingly. 

"You're nice," Youngjae mumbles. "I like you."

"I like you too," Daehyun says. "In a way that means we're not going to cuddle naked right now."

"Mmmph." Youngjae pouts. It's stupidly cute and Daehyun is dumb and he kind of knew this was coming so why didn't he prepare for it? But then, he hadn't expected Youngjae to be quite so...come hither. Daehyun's memory of his heats can be fuzzy, but he doesn't remember any naked Jongup spooning. "But you're cute. You have those pretty scars on your arm and, I mean, everything below the _waist_ is just--"

"--Out of commission for today," Daehyun squeaks, hurrying out of the room. He has to call Himchan. Himchan will know where to get some powdered Salix root. Salix root is the only thing he can think of that's going to take care of current his problem. His rather large problem. Daehyun looks down, wincing when he sees that the fabric is all tented out. His life is a farce and everything in it is stupid and Himchan is never, ever going to let him live this down.

"Dae..." Youngjae murmurs, wandering out of the bedroom entirely naked. He walks with a slinky, unhurried grace. Daehyun swallows hard, and thinks about cleaning the garbage compactor. He thinks about that time he stole an entire bottle of Karaani wine and Himchan made him scrub the drains out with a toothbrush. That was super gross.

"We need to call Himchan," Daehyun says. "You need to put on clothing for that."

Youngjae shrugs, curling up on the couch. "He won't mind."

"I…" Daehyun frowns. "Okay, point. But--wait, no. You still have to put on clothing. We both need to put on clothing. What if there are people there?"

"I like people." Youngjae brushes his tail along the backs of his own calves lazily.

"This is...okay, look, just get under the blanket," Daehyun says, tossing a microfiber quilt in Youngjae's direction. " _Stay_ under the blanket. Stay under the blanket like your life depends on it."

"Hmmph." Youngjae frowns, snuggling into the blanket so only his face, ears, and the tip of his tail is visible.

"That's good," Daehyun says, tugging on a spare pair of pants. "Annoyance. That's a good emotion. Keep that one up while we call Himchan."

"I don't like the blanket."

"Sometimes life is hard," Daehyun agrees. He sits down on the floor, pressing his phone to a patch of skin on his arm and dialing Himchan.

"Hi," Daehyun blurts out, as soon as he sees Himchan's face appear in front of him. "We have a problem. I need to ask you an awkward question, but before I do that, I need you to get me some Salix root as fast as possible."

"Um," Himchan says. He coughs, hiding a laugh. "If you need Salix root...is the awkward question really necessary?"

"It's not about me," Daehyun whines. "Or like. It is about me, but only because Youngjae isn't doing what I do. I'm not. Himchan, he won't keep his clothes on. I woke up to him all naked and nuzzling me."

Himchan raises an eyebrow, no longer trying to hide his smile.

"It's not funny," Dae hisses. "He won't keep his clothes on! He keeps trying to come on to me! I swear to god, I don't do this to Jongup. This _doesn't_ happen to me. Jongup and I just hang out and cuddle, okay."

"You cuddle?"

Daehyun blinks. "Yeah. What else would we do?"

"Oh my god," Himchan says, starting to laugh. "Daehyun. I'm--this is hilarious."

"Tell me what's so funny," Daehyun growls. "And then get me the Salix root, okay. He's--what if its the suppressants making him do this? He used to be a _slave_! What if he wakes up tomorrow and he looks at me and thinks that I--"

"Whoa, okay, the Daehyun-train is stopping at the station," Himchan says. "Dae. Remember who you're talking to, okay? I know what Youngjae's going through."

"I know," Daehyun says. "Which is why I called you. Why is he doing this?"

"Because he likes you," Himchan says. "Yeah, he's going through his first heat, so he's getting a whack of hormones even with the suppressants. And yeah, he's probably kind of out of it. But he knows what he's doing. It's not like the stuff they give to pets. He's perfectly cognizant right now. Just...uninhibited."

"Oh my...oh ew," Daehyun says, blinking. "Please tell me you didn't do this to Guk."

"It's a possibility."

Daehyun makes a gagging noise. "Why did you have to say that? You could have just lied, oh my god."

"Because I'm making a point," Himchan says. He looks entirely too smug. "And that point is that while it might have been a bit _embarrassing_ the day afterwards, I remember the whole thing, and I was being perfectly honest the entire time."

"There's no way Guk would ever agree to that," Daehyun says, disbelieving. "He's like. Immune to come-ons."

"You'd be surprised how far honesty takes you," Himchan says. "But no, of course not. He put a blanket on me and told me we could hold hands. You should try it with Youngjae."

"But he won't---" Daehyun looks to his side, only to see Youngjae stretched out on the couch again, lazily rubbing his stomach. Rubbing his stomach, and trailing his fingers over…

"Keep his clothes on," Daehyun finishes, in a weak voice. "Or, um. Stop. Touching. Can. Can you please _seriously can you please get over here with the Salix this is not okay_.

"Yongguk just left to come see you," Himchan says. "And by the way, I applaud your gentlemanly conduct, but you really shouldn't feel guilty about watching the show. Like I said, it's all _very_ consensual on Youngjae's part."

"I'm not watching the show," Daehyun says. "I am going to wrap him in blankets and hold his hand and get him to cuddle with me. And give him an extra suppression shot. Can I do that?"

"Yeah," Himchan says. He shrugs. "He'll be fine. He's only got about another 12 hours. It might calm him down a bit. I mean, is he like, actively jerking off, or just rubbing one off against your leg, or--"

"Wow, we're not talking about this," Daehyun says. "Please never say 'jerking off' ever again."

"When did you get to be such a _prude_?" Himchan says. "The first time you met Guk you tried to get him into bed with you!"

"That was before you guys were like, my parents," Daehyun says. "Now it's weird, okay. Just go with it. It's weird."

Himchan rolls his eyes. "Just remember, this is all ammunition for later torture," he says. "Also, I have to take the Salix out of your pay. It's not exactly vital to your survival that you get rid of your incessant boner."

"That's fine," Daehyun says. "As long as I have enough to eat next week. That's all I care about."

"You'll have enough," Himchan says. Daehyun has the sudden suspicion that Himchan has already done the math, and is giving Daehyun the Salix for less than normal for exactly that reason. Daehyun tries not to let his gratitude show on his face. "Anyway. Call me when it's all over, alright? And then we'll get you back into work."

Daehyun nods. "What about Youngjae?"

Himchan shrugs again. "I don't know," he says. "Maybe you should try asking _him_ what he wants to do. That might be a good start."

"I think I'll save that conversation for tomorrow," Daehyun says, swallowing hard.

Himchan just laughs, cutting the connection. Daehyun drops his phone on the low table next to the couch and sighs. He needs Yongguk to get here. He just feels too weird about this. It's like looking into someone else's brain. Daehyun doesn't like it. He's not Jongup. He hasn't had two hundred years to prepare for this.

On the couch, Youngjae lets out a soft moan, surprised and delighted. Daehyun closes his eyes, telling himself that looking is inappropriate and will make him feel weird. Then he looks, because he only has so much willpower.

Youngjae's back is arched off the couch, a soft curve that presses his hips up into the air. He's biting his lower lip as he curls one hand around himself, rubbing slowly and luxuriously. The tip of his tail is flicking and he's thrusting his hips up into his own grip and--

"I'll be in the bathroom until Yongguk gets here," Daehyun gasps, making a hasty, undignified, and entirely necessary retreat.

\--

Yongguk knocks on Daehyun's bathroom door roughly fifteen minutes later, which is just enough time for Daehyun to get himself off (like a rocket, desperately, panting into the sink and holding himself up with one hand against the mirror) and then sponge himself off to hide the evidence.

"One sec," Daehyun calls out, tugging his pants back on and wrapping his hair and his ears up in his towel. He pulls the door open only to see Yongguk smiling at him.

"Rough morning?" Yongguk says innocently.

"Hah," Daehyun says. "Hah. That's funny. Hey, so is Youngjae still naked and pleasuring himself on my couch? I ask merely for the sake of science." He grabs the vial of Salix root from Yongguk's hand, dumping the powder into a nearby mug and then carefully rationing out a few fingers worth of water from the siphon. The powder dissolves instantly.

"No, he's wrapped in a blanket and watching something on your holovid," Yongguk says. "It seems he got bored when you weren't around anymore."

"You are both enjoying this way too much." Daehyun grimaces as he downs the medicine. "I'm glad my love life is so hilarious."

"So it's mutual," Yongguk says, holding out his hand for the empty vial.

"Of course it's mutual," Daehyun says. "But I just--I mean there's fast, like, hey, a few drinks at the bar, let's go home together fast. And then there's--" he gestures helplessly towards the rest of the apartment. "There's mysterious stranger who then collapses who then used to be a sex slave who is then _jerking off on your couch_ fast."

Yongguk thinks about that for a long moment, and then slowly nods. "Mmm. I admit that I can see your point. "

"I'm glad someone finally agrees with me," Daehyun mutters. He unwraps his hair and his ears, drying them off carefully before hanging up his towel. "Can you stay here until I give him his suppression shot?"

"Of course," Yongguk says, turning back towards the living room. His mouth curls at the corners. "Anything for a citizen in need."

\--

"See?" Daehyun carefully runs his hands along Youngjae's forearm, and is rewarded with a soft purr. "This is nicer, right? We're both wearing clothing and now we can just, um. Hang out."

Youngjae is basically spooning him on the couch, but Daehyun decides not to mention that. Cuddling is good. He'll take cuddling. The Salix root has worked its magic. Daehyun is calm and collected and no longer worried that he's going to do something rash, like just climb on top of Youngjae and rut against him until neither of them can breathe.

"It is nice," Youngjae mumbles, nuzzling against the back of Daehyun's neck. "You're nice. I like you."

"I like you too." Daehyun pats Youngjae's hand. "I don't usually cuddle with people I don't like, you know."

"Mmmm."

"Do you want to watch something else?" Daehyun says, already reaching out for the sensors that activate the holovid. They're currently watching a history documentary about the rise of the Core from the shattered remnants of the galaxy after the War of Suppression. It's fairly depressing. "Ours is hacked from the neighbors, so we only get about half of the channels, but…"

"Do you have any music?" Youngjae mumbles, nuzzles his nose against the back of Daehyun's neck. "I like music a lot. It was my favorite thing when I was--um. It was. It was my favorite thing before." Youngjae stutters slightly, but Daehyun pretends not to notice. All he does is play with the sensor keys until something pleasant comes up in the channel rotation, rising out of the air like magic. It's slow and mellow, much like Daehyun is feeling right now. He's pretty sure he could spend all day like this--warm, relaxed, curled up next to Youngjae and feeling the heat from his body. The holovid dims automatically, and begins to pulse in abstract patterns that follow the beat of the music.

"Thanks," Youngjae murmurs. He nips at the back of Daehyun's neck, but Daehyun just grins and rolls over so they're face to face. "None of that, remember?"

This close, Daehyun can count every one of Youngjae's eyelashes. He can see the freckles on his nose and his forehead, barely perceptible even from a few inches away. Daehyun wants _so badly_ to run his fingers over the smooth curve of Youngjae's cheekbones.

Youngjae moves closer, slow and careful. Daehyun knows he should back away, knows that in a few seconds they'll be kissing but kissing seems so...nice. It seems nice when Youngjae's mouth slides over his, and when Youngjae wraps an arm around Daehyun's waist to pull him closer. Youngjae's touches are gentle and Daehyun responds in kind, kissing back softly and indulging his need to run his fingers over Youngjae's skin.

Daehyun pulls away first, reluctantly. "We probably shouldn't," he says, without really moving away.

Youngjae groans. "Please," he mumbles, trailing kisses down the side of Daehyun's neck. "Come onnnnn. I know you can feel it. You know I want to."

Daehyun sighs, trying and failing not to smile. "Yeah," he says, laughing. Youngjae's erection is warm and firm against his stomach. "I noticed. It's kind of hard to miss something like that."

"It's very hard," Youngjae says, smirking a little. "You should do something about that."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Daehyun says, still smiling. "Salix root, remember? And besides. I thought you already...took care of that problem yourself."

Youngjae's voice drops into a low rumble, something between a purr and a growl. He's still kissing the side of Daehyun's neck, running his soft mouth over the skin and then biting down when Daehyun least expects it. "Do you _know_ how many times I can come when I'm like this?"

"I can imagine," Daehyun says. He is suddenly very, very grateful for Yongguk's assistance. "But that's not really the plan for today, okay? We should talk about this later. When you're a little more...yourself."

"Why?" Youngjae huffs, sitting back and frowning at him. "I don't get it. Why won't you have sex with me? Do you not like me or something?"

"What?" Daehyun stares at him in total bewilderment. "Of course I like you. That's why I'm saying we should wait until you're normal Youngjae again. I don't want to…" Daehyun doesn't know what to say. "It feels like I'm taking advantage," he says, finally. "I don't do that kind of stuff. It's really not my thing."

"What do you mean, taking advantage?" Youngjae frowns. "You helped me out. You guys took me in and paid for my medicine and took care of me. I figured...you know. Everyone gets to fuck me when it's all over."

"Whoa, whoa, OKAY, hang on," Daehyun says, scooting off the couch. He feels a sudden, desperate need to put some space between himself and Youngjae right now. "That is _not_ how it works, okay? Not in the outside world. When someone helps you out, you might owe them money. You might agree that you'll do them a favor sometime in the future. You might trade something that you know they need. But you don't use your body for that. You never have to do that again. Not for me, and not for anybody."

"But people here do it," Youngjae says defiantly. "I've seen them. I talked to them for a while. It doesn't seem like a bad living." He presses his lips together.

"That's their choice," Daehyun says carefully, even though he knows all-too-well that in many cases, none of the Companions on Chithel ever really had a choice. It was selling themselves or starving on the streets, and Daehyun can't fault them for choosing to survive. "But that's not a life you have to have. That's what having choices means. You get to pick what you do after this."

"But…" Youngjae seems at a loss for words. "That's the only thing I'm good at," he says, eventually. "I was a pet. I've lived my whole life at a pet. I don't have any money, and I don't know how to _do_ anything else." His voice is suddenly sharp.

"You'll be okay," Daehyun says carefully. "Look, you're in, alright? If Himchan took you in, he's going to watch over you. He'll help you out. Probably get you a job working somewhere shitty, but it will be a job and no one will ask questions and you can pay us back little by little." Daehyun shakes his head. "It's not a big deal. It's how we all survive down here, Youngjae. Everyone has their own debts to pay. But we don't just let people fall before they can even get on their feet."

"You're so…" Youngjae shakes his head. "I don't get you," he says, finally. "I don't get any of you. Why me? Why not everyone else on this station? Why would you do this for someone you don't even know?"

"Um," Daehyun says. He bites his lip. Youngjae already kissed him and groped him and basically did everything but give him a lap dance, so he figures maybe it's okay to give up his secret. "I...like you? Like I might have, um. Kind of a crush."

Youngjae stares at him. "You have a crush on me," he says flatly.

"Mmm." Daehyun looks down at the floor. "And to answer your other question, not everyone on this station is a runaway Felani with infected ear scars. Himchan…" Daehyun trails off. "He takes care of his own."

Youngjae is silent for a long time. He stares at the pulsing lights of the holovid, chewing on his lip and twitching his tail as he absorbs all of this information. Daehyun sits on the floor and watches him and pretends he isn't every time Youngjae looks over at him.

"I like you too," Youngjae says eventually. "At least, I think I do. I've never…" He sighs. "When I look at people, all I see is either safety, or danger. I see relative attractiveness. I try to judge if someone will be gentle or rough with me. That's it."

Daehyun nods. His chest hurts, but it's not like he wasn't expecting this. He knew being with Youngjae--if he ever even got the chance--was not going to be an easy road.

"Maybe you should talk to Himchan about it," Daehyun says. "I bet he understands how you feel. I mean, I don't know that much about his past...but I know it wasn't very pleasant."

"That's kind of an understatement," Youngjae says.

"I know," Daehyun says. He stands up, stretching his whole body with a sigh. "How about we just...sit here and watch something? I don't mind if you want to stay close. I know how much touching helps cure the ache."

"It's not so bad right now," Youngjae says, smiling humorlessly. "I'm distracted by other things."

"Then let's find something good to distract you with," Daehyun says, and reaches for the holovid sensor again. He sits down next to Youngjae on the couch, close enough that Youngjae can touch him, but far enough away that Youngjae has some breathing room. Youngjae nudges his fingers against Daehyun's thigh, but otherwise keeps his distance.

"How do you feel about baseball?" Daehyun says, and Youngjae gives him a small, but genuine smile.

\--

Youngjae stays on the couch that night, with most of Daehyun's pillows and blankets. Daehyun doesn't really mind. He steals some from Jonguppie, because he's at work, and falls fast asleep within minutes. It feels strange to be sleeping alone again. He wakes up more than once with a vague, unsettled feeling.

In the morning, he wonders if maybe he was unconsciously worried about the lack of Youngjae. He gets up to check on him, padding out to the living room, but Youngjae is still fast asleep under a mound of covers.

Daehyun wanders into the living room to find something to eat just as the front door opens and Jongup returns from work. He looks tired, and he doesn't levitate Daehyun's utensils as usual. Normally, Daehyun only knows Jongup is home and awake when his spoon suddenly jumps out of his hand and hits him in the face.

"Youngjae's sleeping in the living room," Daehyun says softly. Jongup nods. "Long day?"

"Double shift," Jongup says, rubbing at his forehead. "Too many stupid boxes. I'm just going to go to bed. Are you working today?"

"Um," Daehyun says. He actually has no idea. Theoretically he should be working, but he doesn't want Youngjae to wake up in an empty apartment. "I don't know. And ah, I might have borrowed your blankets. I'll pay to clean them, if you want."

"Nah," Jongup says. "I don't care."

"That's good," Daehyun says. "Because I'd have to owe you until I pickpocketed someone for the money. But I would have."

"I appreciate it," Jongup says, grinning at him as he passes by on his way to their bedroom. "Keep the money for something else, though. Like food."

"Yeah," Daehyun says, looking down at his bowl of dubiously acquired emergency rations. "Food. I should probably get on that."

\--

Youngjae is sitting at Daehyun's ancient kitchen table when Daehyun comes back, bag stuffed with various odds and ends that he's managed to pick up in the past few hours. He's not too sure that everything he's found today is exactly edible, but hey. First time for everything, right?

"Youngjae!" Daehyun says, blinking in surprise as soon as he sees Youngjae's tall, straight back seated at the table. "Youngjae, hey! You're awake. I'm sorry I had to go out--we kind of, um, needed some food, and I figured you'd be okay without me for a few hours, and that Jongup was here, and--"

"It's fine," Youngjae says softly, turning his head so Daehyun can see the ghost of a smile on his mouth. "I was--a little worried when I woke up. But then Jongup was here, so I calmed down."

"I'm so sorry," Daehyun says, wincing as he sets the bag down. "I didn't mean to leave you. I didn't think you'd wake up so soon. But hey, there's some food now, and when Jongup wakes up again--"

"It's okay," Youngjae says, voice soft and strained. He's not making eye contact with Daehyun. "You don't need to worry about it. I'll be leaving soon."

Daehyun frowns, his heart sinking in his chest. "Lea--leaving? Why?"

"Because," Youngjae says. There's the faintest tinge of pale red on his cheekbones, and Daehyun thinks back to the night before and his heart sinks.

"Hey," Daehyun says, sitting down. "Hey. You don't need to be--it's okay. You weren't yourself. You don't need to feel embarrassed. I mean--well, I _was_ myself and I said some pretty embarrassing things." Daehyun looks down at his hands.

"That's not why," Youngjae says. His mouth tightens and Daehyun thinks _you're lying, you're lying_. "It's just--you've been really helpful. All of you. I owe you my life."

"I told you," Daehyun says, starting to quietly panic. "That kind of stuff is no big deal. You can pay us back some other time. We get in bar fights a lot. I'm sure you'd be pretty helpful." What if Youngjae is planning on _leaving_ leaving? Where is he going to go? What is Daehyun going to _do_ if Youngjae just--

"That's not how it works," Youngjae says, shaking his head. "And that's not how I work. I've been taking care of myself my entire life. I'm not quitting now." He turns to look at Daehyun and he looks tired but determined, like he's gearing up for a long and unpleasant journey. "I can't just sit around and let someone else take care of me. And especially not when I've--" He breaks off, averting his gaze again.

"It's just not going to work," Youngjae says, after a long pause. "I need to figure out who I am. I need to talk to Himchan more. I need to find a _job_." He laughs, humorlessly.

Daehyun bites his lip. "Are you leaving Chithel?"

"I don't know yet," Youngjae says.

"Are you--"

"Daehyun, there's a lot of things I don't know." Youngjae stands up, brushing himself off. He still won't meet Daehyun's gaze. "Look, I promise I'll come back, okay? If I'm ever planning on leaving for good. I won't leave without saying goodbye."

"Right," Daehyun says softly. Sure. Youngjae won't just walk out of Daehyun's live forever without saying goodbye. He'll just be here, on the same damn planet, and Daehyun won't be able to see him or find him. Daehyun doesn't know which is worse.

"I mean it," Youngjae says. He meets Daehyun's eyes again, but now he just looks sad. "You can ask Himchan about me, if you want. But I need to figure things out on my own. I can't just jump into this whole--" He waves a hand around aimlessly. "Look, You all had a life before I turned up," Youngjae says. "You'll have one afterwards, too."

"It's not going to be the same," Daehyun whispers.

"I know," Youngjae says quietly, slipping out the door of Daehyun's apartment. "But it's the best I can do for right now. I'm sorry." 

Daehyun has the sudden overprotective urge to make Youngjae wait for him, to make sure he gets to Himchan's bar alright, but that's what Youngjae's talking, about, isn't it? About how he needs space away from Daehyun to figure out who he is now. That he needs time to fight his own battles and make his own life.

"Bye," Daehyun says, to the suddenly empty apartment. He looks down at his hands, at the sack of food on the table that suddenly feels much too large for only two people. "I'll miss you."

 

**Six Months Later**

Daehyun is the first to admit that he's never spent much time in the Trelanth gardens that circle the top of Chithel. Not during the day, anyway--it's occasionally a decent picking ground, when a rare tourist barge comes through and the grounds are suddenly thronged with curious tourists, but most of the time it's not worth the minuscule entrance fee.

Not that it's not beautiful, Daehyun thinks to himself, as he swipes his card and walks through the barrier, taking in the large trees that suddenly tower above his head, growing peacefully under an almost-invisible dome. It's just normally Daehyun doesn't have money to spare for such luxuries. Gardens and beauty and growing things are carefully cultivated experiences for a higher class of citizen, and a class to which Jung Daehyun definitely does not belong.

Today, though.

Today Daehyun would pay a thousand credits to get in, because for the first time in six months, Youngjae has called him.

Daehyun quickens his steps, tracing the winding paths with something akin to nervousness fluttering in his chest. An emotion that he thought he'd managed to train himself out of in the past few months, but which had returned with full and blinding force the minute Daehyun had heard Youngjae's familiar voice ringing out in the message.

There's a familiar silhouette waiting near a stand of tall Crysoprom flowers. Daehyun only recognizes them because of their vibrant colors; Yongguk had told him once that they survive on ultraviolet radiation, and that that was the reason for their incredibly vivid blues and greens and purples.

"Um," Daehyun says, when he's finally standing next to Youngjae. He places his own hands on the railing and wills himself to keep calm. "Hi?"

"You came," Youngjae says softly. He's smiling widely, still staring out at the flowers waving in the artificial breeze. "I didn't think you would actually come."

"Of course I did," Daehyun says, frowning. "Of course--I mean, you said--"

Youngjae looks down at his hands, still smiling. "I know what I said. And I know what you're thinking, but this isn't goodbye."

"I know," Daehyun admits. "I may have. I may have yelled at Himchan a lot until he told me."

Youngjae laughs. "I don't know why I'm surprised," he says. "I should have expected."

"Uh," Daehyun says. "Sorry?"

"Don't be," Youngjae says, finally turning to look at him. "It's a valid question. I would have wanted to know, too." Youngjae's hair is different now, Daehyun notices--it's been lightened to a soft brown, one that brings out his eyes. He looks taller and stronger than Daehyun remembers. Working at the docks has obviously been doing him some favors.

"It doesn't matter," Daehyun says, unable to keep himself from smiling. Youngjae looks---handsome. Happy. He looks like he's slowly becoming comfortable in his own skin, and Daehyun can't think of anything better. "You're here now."

"I am," Youngjae says. He flexes his fingers around the railing. "I wanted to apologize. About leaving the way I did. I didn't have any other option, but I wanted you to know I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Yeah," Daehyun says. He bites his lip, thinking about that first month, when Himchan had hugged him a lot and given him extra shifts and told him, quietly but firmly, that Youngjae needed time away from all of them while he healed. And Daehyun had _understood,_ , he had, even if his own inclination was to stick closer to people when he was upset, rather than pulling away. But as Himchan had pointed out, Daehyun had always been able to find a family on the streets, even if it had been a motley and unusual one. Youngjae had grown up knowing that he could only ever trust his own family, his own flesh and blood, and now he had been torn away from all of them forever. "I know."

"And I wanted to see you," Youngjae says, ducking his head. "Um. You look well."

"Thanks," Daehyun murmurs, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He doesn't feel like he looks any different, but maybe he does. "You, ah. Look like working life is agreeing with you?"

Youngjae laughs. "Not at first," he says. "But yeah. Now I like it. Himchan's friend, Kang--he's a human, but a good one. He looks out for me. And now that I'm not so easy to recognize, I don't have to take all the night shifts anymore. I mean, I traded a few back to get today off, but yeah. It's nicer to work where I can see the sun."

"I can imagine," Daehyun says. "Well, okay. Maybe I can't, because you know me, working at night and all. But I feel like that's something a lot of normal people say." He's babbling. He knows he's babbling and he really should shut up but Youngjae is so warm and real and _here_ and Daehyun can't remember the last time he felt this happy.

"Mm," Youngjae grins. "Since when have either of us ever been normal?"

"Point," Daehyun agrees. He watches as Youngjae's eye crinkle in pleasure.

The wind blowing past them is cool and sweet, tinged with the scents and sounds of growing things. Daehyun looks around them--really looks around them, taking in all the beauty that he's never had time to appreciate.

"You know," Daehyun says, before he's really thought it through. "I've never been here during the day before. I guess I always thought I'd come with someone special." Then he blinks, realizing his mistake immediately. "Not that I...Not that you….oh, fuck," Daehyun says, scrubbing a hand over his eyes. "Sorry. Forget I said that."

"No," Youngjae says. He bites his lip. "I'd rather not."

Daehyun looks up. "Wait. You wouldn't? But Himchan said---"

"Whatever Himchan told you was probably right," Youngjae says. "I mean. I don't know if--" he sighs. "I feel like you probably want things that I can't give you," Youngjae says. "Or things that I don't know how to give you. Or things that I don't know if I can ever give anyone."

"I don't," Daehyun says quickly. "Or--okay, yes, I mean, I guess I do. But I wouldn't. I wouldn't ever--I didn't come here expecting that," he says. "I mean it. I'm an idiot, I didn't mean to say that. I just want to see you, that's all. I just wanted to be able to spend time with you."

"Even if that's all it ever is?" Youngjae says, frowning. "Because it might be. I don't know. And it might--it might not be, I mean, Himchan says that it's really different for everyone, and so there's a chance--"

"Even if that's it," Daehyun says, and within that single second, he knows that he's telling the truth. That maybe he's stupid and never went to school and steals things for a living and only tends a bar, and maybe he's not worth someone amazing and strong and beautiful like Youngjae, but that's okay. Daehyun doesn't care. He'll take it. "You don't have to explain. I'm more than happy with whatever you can give me."

"But...shouldn't you be angrier with me?" Youngjae says, looking confused.

_No, because I'm probably in love with you_ , Daehyun's brain supplies, rather unhelpfully. He ignores the thought and grasps for a plausible explanation. "Um. Because. Well, now I can try to woo you and shit, can't I? I can like. Do it properly. And if you don't...want me like that, then we'll know for sure, and we can laugh about me making a fool of myself later."

Youngjae starts laughing. "Woo me?" he says, disbelief evident in his voice. "You want to try and court me. Like I'm some royal aristocrat instead of a former slave."

"Hey," Daehyun says. "We woo down here in the gutter. It's just not always, so. Uh. Formal."

"I'm pretty sure by 'wooing' you mean 'a few shots of bourbon.' "

"Not _always_ ," Daehyun says, rolling his eyes. "Listen, I am a master woo-er, okay. You just wait."

"Uh-huh," Youngjae says. "Daehyun, I'm a former pet that illegally unloads supply barges for a living."

"And i'm an orphaned alley cat who makes a living bartending at an illegal bar and pickpocketing people," Daehyun says, exasperated. "Geeze, no one's perfect."

"You never told me you were an orphan."

"See? This is why people woo," Daehyun says. "We can sit down sometime and I can tell you all about my insanely depressing life story. It will be a bonding experience." He keeps his voice as light as possible.

"Well," Youngjae says, looking out at the plants gently waving in the breeze. He reaches over and carefully--so carefully--links their pinkies together. "You already know about mine. It's only fair."

Daehyun can't stop the smile that breaks out on his face, and he doesn't really care. He slowly links all of their fingers together, watching Youngjae for any signs of distress, but Youngjae is just biting on his lower lip again and blushing and ducking his head.

"You're holding my hand," Youngjae mumbles, once Daehyun has successfully completed his mission.

"Yeah," Daehyun says. "I am."

"No one's ever held my hand before." Youngjae coughs, looking both pleased and embarrassed. "I mean. Like my family did, but. No one who ever really--"

"You don't have to explain," Daehyun says, squeezing their fingers together gently. "And hey...there's a first time for everything, right?"

Youngjae looks up at Daehyun from beneath his eyelashes. His cheeks are smeared with pink and his mouth looks soft and all Daehyun wants is to lean over and kiss him again. That will come later, though, if it ever does. And even if it doesn't--if this is who Daehyun's waiting for, then he doesn't mind.

"Yeah," Youngjae says, laughing suddenly. His laugh is high and sweet, and Daehyun is instantly charmed. "Yeah, I guess there is."

"Well," Daehyun says, grinning bright and wide. "I hear this is a prime spot for wooing. Mr. Youngjae, would you like to take a walk through the Trelanth gardens with me?"

Youngjae laughs again. "I suppose I could," he says, smiling back. His grasp in Daehyun's hand is loose, but his palms are warm and soft, and he's not running away. "I hear they have many fine educational exhibits."

"Augh, right, you're smart and you were tutored and you know things and stuff," Daehyun winces. "Well. Maybe I should amend my statement. Would you like to be woo'd in the Trelanth gardens while also educating me about plants and enjoying what an idiot I am?"

"We all have our skills," Youngjae says, quirking an eyebrow at him. "If you teach me about pickpocketing, maybe I'll teach you about some plants."

"Not that I'm supporting your descent into a life of crime," Daehyun says, following behind Youngjae as they begin to walk, letting Youngjae lead him along. "But, you know. Plants are pretty cool."

"Yeah," Youngjae says, smiling at Daehyun in the sunlight. "I hear they are."


End file.
